A silver halide light-sensitive photographic material (hereinafter it is simply called as"the light-sensitive material") usually undergoes, after imagewise exposure to light, various photographic processes such as development, desilvering or bleach-fixing, stabilization and washing, etc.
Thus, for example, a developing solution is used for development; a bleaching solution or a bleach-fixing solution is used for desilvering process; and a fixing solution is used for fixing process; city water or deionized water is used for washing or rinsing; a stabilizing solution is used for waterless washing; and stabilization solution is used individually for dye stabilization treatment; etc.
The liquid which is used for above-mentioned photographic processing is called a processing solution, the temperatures of the respective processing solutions are usually adjusted to between 30.degree. C. and 40.degree. C., and the light-sensitive material is transported and dipped in these processing solutions and is processed.
The photographic processing like above is usually carried out using an automatic processing machine, which is herein after referred to as "a processor". Photographic processing is carried out by transporting a light-sensitive material into a plurality of processing baths where the above-mentioned processing solutions are contained.
Herein, the term "processor" generally means a processing apparatus which comprises a plurality of processing baths containing various processing solutions as mentioned above, and a drying compartment; and a means to automatically transport the photographic light-sensitive material. The processor has a means to automatically transport the photographic light-sensitive material through the processing baths in order.
When a light-sensitive photographic material is processed using a processor like this, in order to keep the activity of a processing solution in the processing tank constant, the replenishment of a processing agent is generally adopted.
As for the replenishing method of the processing agent, a replenishing solution in which the processing agent is dissolved is prepared beforehand.
To be specific, the processing operation is carried out while supplying a replenishing solution, which was prepared beforehand, from a tank for replenishment to the processing bath.
In this case, the replenishing solution is prepared outside the processor. Thus, in so-called a "mini photo-finishing labs.", etc., it used to be the case that the replenishing solution was prepared in a tank installed near the processor by hand operation or by the use of a mixer.
That is to say, the processing composition for the silver halide photographic light-sensitive material which is commecially available are usually in the form of powder or solution. In practice, they were dissolved in water, in the case of powder, or diluted by adding a given amount of water in the case of a solution, to prepare the replenishing solution.
The dissolving operation of the processing composition is not only complicated, but also there is a danger of contamination of the surrounding by scattering of drops of solution or adhesion thereof to human skin. Especially, this has been the case in a shop where a large amount of light-sensitive material is processed daily. Such dissolution operation has to be done many times a day, which may cause interruptions with other business of the shop.
Accordingly, in order to reduce such dissolving operation in the shop, it was proposed to supply the processing composition in the form which may be used as a replenishing solution. However, in this case, there is a drawback that since reactive compounds coexist in a solution, preservation stability thereof tends to be remarkably deteriorated. For the purpose of overcoming this drawback, a system, in which the reactive compounds are separated to two or three parts and supplied to the processing tank, has also been proposed.
In the case of the processing composition in the form of liquid, the total volume of the processing solution tends to be large because of use of water as a solvent, which is undesirable in view of space for storage and transportation.
In order to solve these problems Japanese Patent open to Public Inspection (O.P.I.) publication No. 5-119454 (1993) discloses a system, in which processing composition is solidified in the form of a tablet and, is directly supplied to the processing tank. However, when the photographic processing composition is tablet-formed by compression molding, its binding force generally becomes poor. When, on the other hand, in order to overcome this drawback, a large amount of binder etc. is employed, then, photographic processing performance can be adversely affected. Therefore, it is difficult to use a binder, etc. in a large quantity, and, in practice, it is possible to use it only in a small quantity. As a result, hardness of the tablet-form processing composition decreases and it comes to wear out easily. Moreover, since the photographic processing composition is usually used in relatively a large quantity at a time, therefore, the supply thereof tends to become too complicated if the size of the tablet is as small as ones for medical use. So, a large size tablet is more favorable in view of the mechanical strength. However, it was found that a large-sized tablet can easily wear out easily and this can be a problem. Although it might be true that this kind of problem may be prevented to some degree by wrapping the tablet individually. However, in the case of the photographic processing composition, since frequency of replenishment is relatively large, so that unpacking operations can become too complicated to open the packages, in which a plurality of individually wrapped tablets tens times a day. Moreover, the amount of the waste packing material increases. However, when two or more solid processing compositions are stored in a lump, the wear thereof becomes remarkable. Moreover, it is found to be easy to cause moisture absorption and the deterioration of the element. Furthermore, the solid processing composition becomes blocked in the feeder or the drive part of the feeder becomes clogged, causing an increase in the torque when a solid processing composition is supplied to the processing tank of the processor automatically.
Japanese Patent O.P.I. publications No. 4-172341 (1992) and No. 5-204098 (1993) disclose a solid tablet-form processing composition coated with water soluble polymer. An improvement in wearing resistance of a solid processing composition was achieved according to this method. However, it is not always sufficient under a specific condition like the above-mentioned. Moreover, from the viewpoint of practical use, there were some problems such that the water soluble polymer dissolved only in a specified processing solution, a coating material is allowed to be cracked or the tablets blocked together with each other.